Gaming the System
by SapphireOcean
Summary: A weekend outing. [Promptember #1, Complete]
Last November, I participated in a brand new writing challenge. I learned of its existence the day before it started. Use a different prompt each day and write a fic! What could go wrong, I thought, maybe writing a story a day for a month will be easier than doing Nanowrimo. Then I laughed and laughed... and tried anyway. I managed to stay on schedule for a week, and completed 15 stories. "Story" applies more loosely to some of these, fyi.

On AO3 you can lump multiple fandoms into a single fic. I finally figured I could post each fic individually here.

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The prompt: Person A of your OTP wasting all their cash they have on hand to try and win a stuffed animal for Person B out of a claw machine.

"This way, Mako! I can hear it!"

A panting Mako Mankanshoku scurried to meet Ryuko Matoi at the top of a hill. By the time she crested it, Ryuko was many yards ahead.

"R-Ryuko-chan, please wait," Mako wheezed, stumbling. She could be quite fast, but today Ryuko, powered by excitement, was going at top speed.

Mako trotted gamely along, the destination now in sight. She caught up to a dumbfounded Ryuko and stood next to her, staring up at the loud bright sight that was the newly-opened Honnouji Arcade.

"Whoa."

"That… is…"

"…amazing!"

They looked at each other with grins on their faces.

"First one in gets to pick first," Mako exclaimed, vitality restored. She charged forward, yanked open the doors, and entered the arcade, leaving Ryuko to dodge the doors.

"All right, you win," she said, laughing. "What do you want to do, Mako? …Mako?"

The other girl stood slack-jawed and starry-eyed. "So many. So many things…!" She grabbed Ryuko's hand and towed her along, looking around quickly enough to get whiplash.

"Look," she said suddenly, and bounced over to a claw machine. "This one, let's start with this one!" She pressed her nose to the glass, staring intently.

"See anything you want?"

"Yes!" She jabbed her finger at a Mokona doll underneath some other plushies (it looked like it would barely fit in the chute besides), then promptly pulled out her wallet for coins.

"Mako, wait," Ryuko said, puttting a hand on her shoulder. "Let me get it for you. I've _got_ this."

"Thank you, Ryuko-chan," Mako said, practically spitting hearts. She stepped aside, pressing a coin into Ryuko's hand as she settled in front of the machine. "Take mine to start with, for luck!"

Ryuko smiled. "Okay." She focused on her prize, face hardening in determination.

Mako watched from the side, gaze moving from the claw to the plushie as Ryuko expertly maneuvered toward it.

"Just need to move this guy," Ryuko muttered, plucking a happy-faced marshmallow from the pile and purposely dropping it out of the way.

Mako nodded sagely. "What a good idea."

Ryuko fed the machine another coin and stopped the claw over Mokona's ear, which stuck out of the pile. It gripped, tugged… and let go.

"Shoot. Guess I need to loosen it."

Two more unsuccessful tries led Ryuko to clear away a few more plushies; when she next went for Mokona she lifted it free of the pile only to drop it immediately. She slapped the side of the machine with a groan. "Come on!"

She grabbed it again, this time getting it halfway to the chute.

"What the f–" She trailed into an exasperated blast of air, sweating slightly as a little kid wandered by looking curiously at her.

"You know," Mako said from the other side of the glass, "you don't have to keep trying. He's not being very cooperative."

Ryuko waved her off. "It's fine, I almost have it."

Ten tries and various problems later, Mako had given up trying to stop her and instead watched in awe as Ryuko ranted quietly at the machine.

"You are _not_ going to _win_ , damn it! Obnoxious overgrown furball, can't even– fuuudge it all to hell and back, you little–"

On the third try after that, Mokona was finally positioned over the chute. With a deep breath, Ryuko released it.

It landed in the chute…

…and went no further.

Ryuko stared, incredulous. "What? No. No, no, no, you've got to be kidding me." She popped more coins in, trying to lower the claw to the chute and push it through. She dropped other toys on it to jostle it free.

"Oh, my god, why do you hate me so much?!" In anger and despair, she banged her head against the case. " _Ow!_ " She staggered back; Mako leapt to support her.

"You shouldn't have done that, Ryuko-chan, your head isn't that ha– look!"

With a thump and a clatter, Mokona and a handful of doodads spilled out of the machine, landing at their feet.

Mako, with a cry of joy, dove for the plushie. "Oh, you did it, you freed him," she squealed, squeezing it. Then she dove for Ryuko where she'd collapsed on the floor and hugged her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She clung to Ryuko and Mokona, nuzzling Ryuko's cheek happily.

"That's… that's great," Ryuko said dazedly. "I mean, you're welcome. Can I get up now?"

Mako sprang to her feet and hauled Ryuko up, somehow keeping hold of Mokona. "Do you need an ice pack, Ryuko-chan?"

Ryuko smiled and shook her head. "If you kiss it I'll think I'll be okay."

"Mokona and I can both kiss you," Mako said, beaming as she pushed Mokona's face against Ryuko's forehead before kissing the same spot.

"Yep, I feel better already," Ryuko declared. She took Mako's hand. "Wanna play pinball? Oh wait, Dancing World is over there!" She pulled Mako along, weaving through the crowd until she could watch the screen. "It's a long wait," she said, retrieving her wallet, "but at least we can… watch…" She pulled out a few lint specks. "I'm out of money?" she yelped, drooping a bit as a few heads turned.

"You used all of it playing the claw game," Mako said sadly. "I couldn't get you to stop."

Ryuko blinked. Then she grinned. "Oh, well. It was worth it."

Mako instantly brightened. "Yes," she said, hugging Mokona to her chest. "So, Ryuko-chan, the rest of the day is on me!"


End file.
